Accession Number
2000/2.121

Title
Vessel

Artist(s)
Cameroon

Artist Nationality
Cameroonian

Object Creation Date
early 20th century

Medium & Support
terracotta

Dimensions
14 3/16 in x 7 7/8 in (36 cm x 20 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. James and Vivian Curtis

Subject matter
Throughout the Grassfields region of Cameroon, material culture acted as a signifier of a person’s place within the social hierarchy that many kingdoms in this area share. This included pottery as well. Many ceramic containers or vessels were—and continue to be—produced in Bamessing and Babessi. With large, local clay deposits, Bamessing and Babessi gained a reputation for their strong and elaborate pottery. Women created these containers, which were prized all over the Grassfields region by elites. Vessels with more decoration conferred more prestige on their owner, as did bowls with raised legs. This vessel may have been used as a pitcher pour palm wine or water. The snake motif may refer to royalty, as the snake is associated with the ruler (or fon) in some Grassfields kingdoms. 

References Cited:
Forni, Silvia. 2007. "Containers of Life: Pottery and Social Relations in the Grassfields (Cameroon)."African Arts 40.1: 42-53.
Gebauer, Paul. 1979. Art of Cameroon. Portland, Or.: Portland Art Association.
Homberger, L. 2008. Cameroon: Art and Kings. Zürich: Museum Rietberg.
Northern, Tamara. 1984. The Art of Cameroon. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
Page, Donna. 2007. A Cameroon World: Art and Artifacts from the Caroline and Marshall Mount Collection. New York: QCC Art Gallery Press.

Physical Description
Round vessel with a small round base and a columnar spout. The top edge of the spout is divided into two pointed sections. A curved handle runs from the top of the spout to the neck of the vessel. The neck of the vessel is decorated with incised horizontal lines while the body of the vessel is decorated with an undulating snake and two adjoined oval shapes, each decorated with a crosshatch pattern. 

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
vessel

Collection Area
African

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
pottery (visual works)
prestige
social status
symbols of office or status
wealth
women (female humans)